Women's Basketball

Meagan Fulps Headed to China with USA All-Stars for Two Week, Nine Game Tour

Apr 17, 2013

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Getting a chance to continue playing basketball after her final season on the Mission campus, Santa Clara women's basketball senior Meagan Fulps was invited to play on the NetScouts Basketball All-Star Team. Fulps, who finished her Bronco career at No. 7 on the all-time scoring list with 1,297 points, will travel to China and play nine games in 14 days. The U.S. team will take on teams from Brazil, China and Australia.

"I'm incredibly excited to get to play more ball," said Fulps. "I found myself having withdrawals shortly after the season was over. I was playing pick up with the girls as often as I could but missed it so much. When I got the call I was ecstatic-- it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

"It is an absolutely great opportunity," said Santa Clara head coach Jennifer Mountain. "It is 14 days of touring in China, playing against the Chinese national team, the Australian national team and the Brazilian national team. It is going to be a high level of basketball, which will be nice. It gives her an extra chance to play again and there will be some scouts there, so if she does end up wanting to play somewhere, she has that opportunity. I just think that given that opportunity to go to another country and to represent your school or the U.S.A. is a great opportunity."

This will be the first trip to China, and out of the country, for Fulps. She is not only looking forward to the basketball, but also the travel.

"I have never been to China, let alone out of the country," said Fulps. "So scrambling to get a last minute passport was crazy, but we made it happen. I'm excited to get to play with some awesome players from around the U.S. Sam Ostarello from Purdue is on the roster and she was actually one of my club ball teammates in high school. It will be great to play with her again. Also, being able to play against the top players from China, Brazil and Australia will be amazing. Apart from basketball I'm incredibly excited to travel and experience a new culture."

Finding out she had been selected was a whirlwind for Fulps. Everything came together in the span of 24 very stressful hours.

"I was laying out at the pool just soaking in some sun when [head coach Jennifer Mountain] called me," said Fulps. "She shared the news and said I needed to give them an answer as soon as possible. I was so pumped but also panicking at the same time. I'm in the middle of making my senior capstone film so I had to talk to my professors and my film crew to see if it was even possible. After making about a million phone calls and meeting with everyone I finally got the OK and instantly called the coach Chris Denker to confirm. It's an opportunity that I couldn't pass up and I'm so happy my professors and film partners were so understanding."

Last spring head coach Chris Denker took two teams with one going 9-0 and winning the championship and the other winning a tournament championship while also playing the Chinese Olympic Team three games prior to the London Olympics. Every player who has gone on the trip was later offered a pro contract internationally.